Pitch slider mechanism



July 1, 1930. .E. 'GALIZi ET AL 1,769,339

PITCH SLIDER MECHANISM Filed July 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 1, 1930. E. GALIZI ET AL PITCH SLIDEH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed July 24, 1928 v Patented July 1, 1930 i I UNITED STATES rArENroFFicE Application filed July 24, 1928. Serial No. 294,994.

This invention relates to improvements in It has heretofore been the practice to proaccordions and has for its object to provide vide a knob or leverfor actuating the pitch a pitch slide mechanism constructed and arslider preferably intermediate the ends of the ranged for operation in conjunction with a key board case. This construction and pracstandard keyboard. I tice is objectionable for the reason that in 55 One of the objects of our invention is to playing the very high or very low keys at each provide a pitch slide mechanism attachable end of the keyboard, it is necessary for the to the accordion casing and at the front edge artist to remove his hand from the keyboard, of the keyboard so that the player or artist to actuate the knob or lever resulting in limmay vary the pitch at any position on the itations in tone and volume while playing 60 scale and without interrupting the finger very difficult selections. movement on the keys. Our invention therefore aims to provide a More specifically our invention relates to a pitch slider mechanism in which the slider pitch slider mechanism positioned within the may be actuated without removing the hand accordion case and operable by the thumb or from the keyboard at any pointon the scale. 6 palm of the hand from any position on the To that end, in the preferred form of the inkeyboard, said mechanism being attachable vention, and as shown by Fig. 1, we provide as a unit to any conventional type of accora flat plate 8 secured to the bottom 9 of the dion. keyboard case 10 positionedat a point sub- To enable others skilled in the art to more stantially intermediate the sides 11, 12 of the 70 fully comprehend the underlying features case and the sharp and flat keys 18, 14., The of our invention and its practical application front edge 15 of the keyboard case is par to the particular instrument in which it is emtially cut away as at 16 and attached to this ployed, reference is had to the accompanying portion of the key board is a top flat bar 17 drawings wherein preferably formed integral with theplate 8 75 Fig. l is a top plan of a preferred form of and fastened to the keyboard by screws 18. a pitch slider mechanism embodying our in: H-ingedly connected to the top fiat bar 17 vention. by spring hinges 19 is an elongated presser Fig. 2 is a top plan of a modified form of bar 20jsubsta-ntially L-shaped in cross-section so our invention. and .of such a length as to extend in prox- 80 Fig. 3 is a detail view of a guide plate. imity to the highest and lowest octave on the Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of an keyboard whereby said presser bar may be accordion key board and the presser bar. actuated byvthe thumb or palm without re- Fig. 5 is a bottom plan showin the valve mQving the hand from the finger board.

' board and its relation to the sli er mecha- The presser bar 20 is connected to a pin or $5 nism. post 21 by a wire link 22, one end of said link I Fig. .6 is an end view. being bent and retained in an eye 23 of the Referring now to the drawings wherein presser bar and the opposite end of the link like reference characters designate correpassing through an aperture in the upper end sponding parts throughout the several Views, of the pin or post. The pin or post is slid- Si) and referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, able in a suitable guide 24 and is provided the accordion case or frame 5 is provided with a stop pin 25 engaging the guide thus with the usual valve board 6. Thekey valves limiting the return movement of the pm cooperate with a pitch slider .7 constructed when pressure on the hinges 19 of the presser -15 and arranged to be shifted relative to the bar 20 is released.

valve openings so as to produce a high or The lower beveed end 26 of the pin or low pitch. This construction is common and post is adapted to register with the notches 27, well known in the conventional type of ac- 28 of a pair of angularly disposed levers 29, cordion and to which our invention is ap- 30. the up e ends of which are subs a tia ly 5o plicable. parallel with sliding pin orpost and form a guide for the beveled end to enter the notches of either of said levers. Springs 31, 32 secured to suitable screw heads 83, 34 are adapted to urge the levers toward each other, said sprngs having their lower ends fastened as at 35, 35 and their upper ends retained in suitable eyes 36 formed with the levers.

The lower ends of the levers 29, 30 are pivotally connected as at 37, 88 to the outer ends of a rocker arm 23.) pivoted as at 40 to the bottom of the plate 8. The depending extensi' n 41 of the rocker arm is formed with side flanges 42 which form a guide for an adjusting plate 10 lower slotted end 44 of which is tent at right angles thereto and adapted to be locked by a screw 45 in its adjusted position when connected to the tooth 46 of a lug 47 as shown in Fig. 3.

The In; is permanently fastened as at 48 to a secional rod 49 slidable through a plate guide 50 frstened to the rear of the valve board, as shown by Fig. 5. The outer end 51 of the rod 49 is connected to a crank rod 52 rotatable in suitable bearings 53, said crank rod being in turn fastened to the pitch slider 7.

From the above description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that-when the presser bar is actuated and the pin or post 21 is depressed into the right hand or left hand lever, the rocker arm will be part all? rotated on its pivot either to the left or to the right. This movement shifts the slide rod 49, 51, with the result that the crank rod operates the pitch slider. In order to limit the movement of the Y-shaped rocker arm, stop pins 54, are provided on the plate 8. d hen one of the levers is actuated by the pin or post, the notch is moved below the notch of he opposite ever and since the spr ngs of the presser bar draws the post or pin back to its normal position upon each actuation, when the post or pin is depressed aga n, it actuates the opposite lever with the result that the 15 itch slider may be moved back and forward to give the desired pitch.

In the form of the invention shown by Fig. 9, the presser bar 56 is sim larly connected by a link 57 to a sliding plate 58 operable in a suitable guide 59. Pivotally (OD.- nected as at 60 to the lower end of said plate, is a rocker 61 having notched arms 62, 63 adapted to engage the curved arms 64, 65 of a lever 66 pivotally connected as at 67 to the lower end 68 of an extension to the aboie mentioned plate. The lower end of the lever 66 is adapted to be locked to the tooth of the leg as shown in Fig. 3. A spring 69 engaging the sides of the rocker 61 maintains the same in its normal straight position and upon each depression of said member causes either of the arms 64, 65 to be engaged with the result that as the lever 66 is rocked on its pivot, the lug is shifted laterally whereupon the slide rod and crank rod actuates the pitch slider in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 1.

While we have shown and described our invention with some degree of particularity, it will be realized that other modifications and changes may be resorted to under special conditions. We therefore do not wish to be limited and restricted to the exact details shown and described, but reserve the right to make such changes and modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the subject matter now being claimed.

Having shown and described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a presser bar attached to the front edge of the keyboard case of said accordion, a rocker arm connected to said slider and means operable by said presser bar for actuating said rocker arm whereby the slider may be shifted.

2. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a spring hinged presser bar attached to the bottom and at front edge of the keyboard case of said accordion, a rocker arm connected to said slider and means operable by said presser bar for actuating said rocker arm whereby the slider may be shifted.

3. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a presser bar attached to the bottom and at the front edge of the keyboard case, said bar being of a length for engagement by the thumb or palm from any point on the keyboard scale, a rocker arm connected to said slider and means operable by said presser bar for actuating said rocker arm whereby the slider may be shifted.

4. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a plate attached to the bottom of the keyboard case, a presser bar hinged to said plate at the front edge of the keyboard case, a rocker arm connected to said plate and slider and means operable by said presser bar for actuating said rocker arm whereby the slider may be shifted.

5. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a plate attached to the bottom of the keyboard case, a plate bar hinged to said plate at the front edge of the keyboard case, a rocker arm fastened to said slider, a pair of levers for rocking said rocker arm and means operable by the presser bar for actuating said levers and rocker arm whereby the slider may be shifted.

6. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a plate attached to the bottom of the keyboard case, a presser bar hingedly connected to the top of the plate and located at the front edge of the keyboard case, a rocker arm fastened to said slider, a pair of levers connected to the ends of said rocker arm and means for actuating either of said levers and rocker arm by the presser bar whereby the slider may be shifted.

7 In an accordion having a pitch slider,

a plate attached to the bottom of the keyboard case, a presser bar and spring hinges connecting said bar and plate, said presser bar being located at the front edge of the keyboard, a rocker arm fastened to said slider, a pair of angularly disposed levers connected to the ends of said rocker arm, said levers having notches and a post operable by a presser bar and adapted to engage a notch in either of said levers whereby the rocker arm and slider may be shifted.

8. In an accordion having a pitch slider, a presser bar attached to the bottom of the keyboard case and in parallelism with the front edge thereof, a rocker arm anda sliding rod connected to said rocker arm, a crank rod for operating the slider by the sliding rod, and means connecting the rocker arm and sliding rod for shifting the same laterally by said presser bar.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. I

EUGENIO GALIZI. ANDRIANO GALIZI. 

